Sarah Wildes • Spell
Sarah Wildes (1627-1692) was accused, tried, and hanged for being a witch during the Salem witch trials.
She married John Wildes a few months after his first wife died, and though Sarah was a devoted step-mother to his eight children, some members of his first wife's family apparently held a grudge against her for marrying John so quickly--they were her initial accusers.
By puritan standards Sarah was a bit wild. From her Wikipedia page:
"Sarah had a reputation as a nonconformist in Puritan Massachusetts, with prior offenses which may have made her an easy target for accusations of witchcraft. She was considered glamorous and forward as a young woman. She was sentenced to be whipped for fornication with Thomas Wordell in November 1649, and later, in May of 1663, charged with wearing a silk scarf." (In the song I changed the scarf to a too-tight dress).
After the 2016 election I wanted to learn about other times in our history when large groups of people became irrational and believed crazy things. That lead me to the Salem witch trials and Sarah Wildes.
More links:
Women History Blog: Sarah Wildes
History of Massachusetts: Sarah Wildes
The Salem Witch Trials:
A History of the Salem With Trials
History.com: Salem Witch Trials